Mendel discovered four laws of inheritance through his experiments with pea plants: 1) Genes exist in pairs and are passed from parents to offspring, with each parent contributing one allele. 2) When two unlike alleles are present, one will be dominant and the other recessive. 3) During gamete formation, the paired alleles separate randomly so each gamete receives one. 4) Alleles assort independently during gamete formation, except for linked genes on the same chromosome.

1. Mendel’s Laws
of Inheritance

2. 1. Genes In Pairs: Genetic characters are
controlled by genes that exist in pairs of
alleles in individual organisms and are
passed from parents to their offspring.
When two organisms produce offspring,
each parent gives the offspring one of the
alleles from each pair.

3. 2. Dominance and Recessiveness: When
two unlike alleles responsible for a single
character are present in a single
individual, one allele can mask the
expression of another allele. That is, one
allele is dominant to the other. The latter
is said to be recessive.

4. 3. The Law of Segregation: During the
formation of gametes, the paired alleles
separate (segregate) randomly so that
each gamete receives one allele or the
other.

5. 4. The Law of Independent Assortment:
During gamete formation, segregating
pairs of alleles assort independently of
each other. Example: genes on different
chromosomes will segregate
independently. Linked genes (close
together on one chromosome) do not
follow this law.

6. 4. The Law of Independent Assortment:
During gamete formation, segregating
pairs of alleles assort independently of
each other. Example: genes on different
chromosomes will segregate
independently. Linked genes (close
together on one chromosome) do not
follow this law.